


When the world gets too heavy (put it on my back)

by browneyedgenius



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 5+1 Things, Gen, Momma May, and may thinks so too, aww the bus kids are adorable, except it's 3+1, fluffy angst/comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:20:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26485552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/browneyedgenius/pseuds/browneyedgenius
Summary: 3 times Melinda May took care of her bus kids and one time they took care of her.
Relationships: Leo Fitz & Melinda May, Melinda May & Jemma Simmons, Melinda May & Skye | Daisy Johnson
Comments: 23
Kudos: 84





	1. Jemma Simmons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place between S1 and S2. May comforts Simmons.

1.

Fitz had been unconscious for two days now, and May felt like some fundamental part of the team was missing. Honestly, though, it felt like two people were unconscious instead of only one, with the way Simmons had been so quiet. At the moment, Simmons was sitting next to Fitz, gently holding his hand. May could tell she was trying hard not to fall asleep. 

Simmons hadn't mentioned what exactly had happened for them to end up at the bottom of the ocean, but they all knew Ward had something to do with it. He was the reason Fitz wasn't waking up, the reason Simmons had barely said a word to anyone. 

Taking a closer look at Simmons, May could see that the woman's eyes were a dull brown filled with hopelessness, instead of the optimistic and intelligent gaze she usually had. Her honey coloured hair was tangled, and it looked like she hadn't eaten in a while. 

May walked into Fitz's room, but Simmons made no move to acknowledge her. It was kind of unsettling that the normally bubbly scientist was so still, and a part of Melinda's heart stopped for a moment, afraid that she was - 

No, she wouldn't let her mind imagine that. It was bad enough that she would often have nightmares about her teammates deaths, especially since Skye had gotten shot. She refused to let anything else happen to her team. 

May put a gentle hand on Simmons' shoulder. 

"Hey, why don't you go back to your room and sleep for a bit? I'll watch him," she offered. 

The biochemist lifted her head up to look at May blearily. "It's okay, I'd rather stay here, thank you," she replied, her voice one of exhaustion. 

A nagging suspicion began to worm its way into May's head. 

"Simmons," she said slowly. "When was the last time you slept?"

Simmons didn't even bother trying to lie. "I'm not sure."

"Why aren't you sleeping, Jemma?" May asked, her voice soft. 

Simmons' face crumpled. "I can't leave Fitz," she said. She didn't cry, she felt like all her tears had already been cried out. "I can't bear thinking that he'll wake up and I won't be there for him."

May was quiet for a moment. "Wait here," she said, stepping out of Fitz's room. 

<>

May quickly grabbed some pillows and a blanket from her room, and a sandwich from the kitchen. She walked back to see Simmons lying on Fitz's chest, eyes closed. Quietly, May pulled out the cushions from the back of the sofa Simmons was sitting on, replacing them with the softer pillows she had brought from her room. She draped the blanket on top of Simmons, wrapping it comfortably around her shoulders. 

Simmons opened her eyes tiredly. 

"Eat this, then go to sleep. I'll let you know if he wakes up," May told her, holding out the sandwich. 

Simmons took in the blanket wrapped around her and the pillows behind her. "Thank you, May," she said in a rush of gratitude. It was the only emotion outside of grief and exhaustion that Simmons had expressed since the events at the bottom of the sea. 

Simmons ate small bites of the sandwich and leaned into the pillows, which smelled like May's calming scent of green tea and jasmine. She pulled the blanket up to her chin and closed her eyes, leaving the sandwich bag beside her. 

Half an hour passed, and with Simmons not making a sound, May began to think she had fallen asleep. Her surprise was almost apparent when Simmons sat up, silent tears streaming down her face. 

"May," she said, her voice choked. "I think I'm a horrible person."

May didn't say anything in return, but she put a comforting arm around the younger agent, implying that she was ready to listen. 

"I'm afraid of Fitz waking up," she said, her voice guilty. "In the containment pod, we talked. He told me that he loved me, he had always loved me, and then he blasted the door open." Simmons was sobbing now. "There was only enough oxygen for one of us. He made me take it. If I weren't there, he'd still be awake. And I'm such a _coward,_ because I don't know how I feel it and I couldn't bear it if he woke up and I had to tell him I didn't know whether I love him back yet."

Seeing Simmons break down, May was forcefully reminded of how unbelievably young her team was, how inexperienced in life they all were. 

"Simmons, you're not a coward," she reassured softly, pulling the agent closer to her. "I can't tell you what to feel about Fitz, but I can tell you this. He _will_ wake up. And I know whether or not you love him back, he'll still care about you. Nothing can come between the two of you. That's why you're called Fitz-Simmons."

Simmons didn't say anything back, only sniffled and leaned closer to May. 

"And in my experience, you don't fall in love suddenly," May continued. "You fall in love little by little. You don't have to figure out how you feel right now. Your feelings might change, Fitz's feelings might change. The two of you will get through it together."

May hummed a quiet lullaby to the agent, holding her tight. Simmons fell asleep like that, with May holding her in her arms and gently brushing the young agent's hair out with her fingers. 

Although Simmons still didn't leave Fitz's side the next day, the entire team was glad to see colour return to her cheeks, hope back in her eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always had a headcanon that May was the only person Simmons told about what happened at the bottom of the sea. I hope I did this justice! Let me know what you think.


	2. Skye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May teaches Skye to play the piano.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I headcanon May plays the piano.

2\. 

Skye sat stock still, looking at the pictures of the people her father had so gruesomely killed. She wasn't exactly supposed to be looking at them, but honestly? Coulson should have invested on better cyber security. 

When she was younger, and still actively looking for her parents, Skye would often imagine what they were like. She thought she had dreamed up all the scenarios, but never in her wildest nightmares would she have thought her dad was a psychotic murderer. But then she had seen the bodies he had carelessly left on the ground, and she could feel reality setting in. Her father was nothing like she had imagined. 

She didn't know what to do. 

Skye knew that there was nature vs nurture, that who her dad was didn't affect who she could be. She knew that she shouldn't even consider a man who hadn't taken care of her, who didn't watch her grow up, as a father. But even with all these logical thoughts swimming around, all she could feel was the rush of painful emotion for her childish dreams of a father who loved her. 

That wasn't Skye anymore. She wasn't the little girl who had imagined a father with a warm smile and proud eyes. She was an agent of SHIELD, and she had to act like it. 

Closing her laptop, she strode out of her room with purposeful steps, looking straight ahead. She stood tall, schooling her expression into one of indifference, like the ones Skye had thought May wore before she learned how to read her micro-expressions. 

But she couldn't seem to focus her thoughts. Her mind kept drifting back to the terrible photos, and in an effort to block them out, she closed her eyes. She bumped straight into Coulson. 

"Skye, are you okay?" he asked, his expression concerned. 

"Perfectly fine, Director!" she replied, putting a bit of false cheer in her voice. It couldn't quite cover the numbness she felt. 

Coulson narrowed his eyes at her. "You sure? You can talk to me, you know."

"Of course!" Skye said, inching slowly past him. She heard piano music in the background. "I've gotta go. I wanna ask May to teach me piano." It wasn't true, but a little white lie couldn't hurt. And she really did not want to talk to Coulson right now, no matter how much bravado she was faking. 

"See you," Coulson said, as she ran in the direction of the music. 

Since they had arrived at the playground, May had been making use of the grand piano in one of the break rooms. Skye hadn't known she could play, and was pleasantly surprised at how good she was. It was nice to hear the music after missions, and Skye suspected May felt it was therapeutic to play the instrument, with how she would come out of the piano room more relaxed than before. 

Skye really did want to learn how to play the piano when she was younger, but she had never had a chance to, with all the moving around and terrible foster families. She remembered that there was an upright piano in the Carson's house, but Skye had never been allowed to touch it. Now that she was at the Playground, she would sometimes play around on the keys, but always felt self conscious about it, so she didn't do it often. 

Skye was originally planning on going to one of the supply closets and sorting through it, just so she could have something to distract her, but she could feel Coulson's eyes watching her. She had no choice but to go see May. 

It honestly wasn't too bad, Skye supposed. May was the type of person who wouldn't ask her to talk if she didn't want to. 

Making her way towards the music, she ended up outside of the closed door, waiting for the piece to end. (She's been calling it a piece now, not a song, ever since May taught her the important distinction between the two.) 

The music slowed down, the last note fading out. Skye pushed the door open, and May looked up. 

"Skye," she acknowledged. 

"Hey, what's up?" Skye said to her S.O. "I was wondering if you could teach me piano."

Skye assumed there was no point in making small talk, she didn't feel like talking and she knew May appreciated direct questions instead of idle chitchat about the weather. 

May shifted her body on the piano bench so that Skye would have space to sit. The two of them sat in silence for a moment, as May took a look at the agent's posture. 

"Sit up straight," May said, putting a hand on Skye's back. "Relax your arms, and hang your hands down like this." She demonstrated the proper position. "It's kind of like holding an apple."

Skye adjusted her posture to match the older agent's. 

"Good," May said, and Skye could feel some of her tension from earlier drifting away. Praise from May was hard-earned, and she knew her S.O. would only give it out when she meant it. Which meant she was doing something right, at least. 

"Now, you have to learn which key corresponds to which note," May continued. "There are white keys and black keys, but we'll focus on white keys for now." She pointed at a note in the middle of the piano. "This one is middle C. It's the most basic of notes, and the one you can use to find all of the other notes." 

May walked her through all of the other notes, and Skye found that it actually wasn't too hard to pick up. She attributed it to her skill with computers and recognizing patterns in code. 

"Now, the first piece most pianists ever learn is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. It goes like this," May told her, demonstrating. "C, C, G, G, A, A, G, now you try."

It was kind of nice, Skye thought, having May teach her piano. She was picking things up quickly, and May was a great piano teacher. When Skye tripped over the notes, May gently adjusted her finger placement, and soon enough, Skye had finished learning both hands of the entire piece. 

"Time to play using both hands at once. Eventually, you'll be able to play completely different things with either hand, but for now, we'll stick with playing the same melody," May instructed. "Don't worry if you can't play it up to speed right now. Playing it correctly is more important."

This took Skye a bit longer to master. It took a few tries, and sometimes May had to play alongside her to remind her where to put her fingers. Finally, with no small amount of pride, Skye was able to play the entire thing by herself. Her bad mood now (mostly) forgotten, she beamed a bright smile at May. 

"I got it!" Skye said delightedly. 

Her S.O. gave her an amused smile. "Let's try something else," she told the younger agent. "Now, this piece is something my grandmother taught my mother, and my mother taught me." 

She played a smooth, simple melody with her right hand and accompanying chords in the left hand. It sounded slightly melancholic, and it brought tears to Skye's eyes. It was the first time music had had such a big emotional impact on her. 

"Skye? What's wrong?" May asked, noticing her shimmering eyes. The piece drew to a sudden stop. 

"It's nothing," Skye denied, sniffling. "Keep playing."

May fixed her with a look. "Really?" 

"It's just that I never thought I'd have someone to teach me something that's been passed down," Skye said, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. "Back when I was a kid some of my classmates would just say offhandedly, like, 'Oh, it's just something my grandma taught me,' and I never thought I'd have that." The words tumbled out in a rush. "And then I found out my dad was actually looking for me, and I thought maybe I'd have a chance to have a normal family, to have things like family heirlooms and photo albums, and then he turned out to be a murderer!"

Skye paused for a breath. 

"And I'm just kind of happy and sad at the same time and why do I have to have emotions? They're so annoying!" she sobbed, frustrated. 

May put her arms around Skye, waiting for her to stop crying. When her sniffles quieted down, May started talking. 

"You know, Skye," she started gently, "I never thought I'd have someone to teach this piece to. I'm glad I can teach it to you. I know you missed out on lots of experiences when you were a kid, and I hope that by joining SHIELD, by joining this family, you'll be able do whatever you missed out on with us. 

"And I agree, emotions are very annoying. But they're what makes us the good guys," May said. "We take care of each other when we're not feeling our best. Remember that no matter what, we'll take care of you, okay?"

Skye nodded and buried her face in May's shirt. "I'm so happy I met you guys," she mumbled. "I don't know what I'd be doing right now if I hadn't."

"I'm glad we met you too, Skye," May said, her lips tilting upwards in a slight smile. Skye gave her a smile in return. Now that she had let her feelings out, she felt a lot better. 

Sensing this, May turned back to the piano. "Let's get back to learning this piece."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops I forgot last chapter to mention that the title of this song comes from Always by Panic! At the Disco. It's a great song. Please listen to it. 
> 
> Let me know how you liked this chapter and how I can improve! I'm always looking for constructive criticism. (And Kudos, if you think I deserve it 😂)
> 
> Also, this might be the longest chapter I've ever written! Yay!


	3. Leopold Fitz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May helps Fitz prepare for his date with Simmons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post S2. The last two chapters were all kind of angsty so I thought I'd add in something a bit more fun! Although, considering what happens after, I'm not sure it could be considered fun...

3\. 

Fitz ran happily out of the monolith room. Simmons had just agreed to dinner with him! Simmons! And Dinner! He could hardly believe the two words existed in the same sentence. 

There was so much to prepare, though. He had to figure out what to wear, and where to go, then make dinner reservations. Nervous didn't even begin to describe what Fitz was feeling at the moment, especially considering that this wasn't just his first date with Simmons, but was also his first date. Ever. 

Normally, in these cases, Fitz would immediately call his mum. But the time difference from the States to Scotland meant that she was already asleep, and Fitz didn't want to wake her up. 

He honestly desperately needed help with getting ready though. 

He would've asked Hunter, Bobbi, Mack, or Daisy for help, but all four of them were off on a mission somewhere. (Seriously, why did Coulson think that was a good idea? Fitz had a feeling the mission would end up being very chaotic.)

That left May and Coulson, and May was still kind of scary and Coulson was technically his boss. He didn't want to bother Coulson because he was busy getting used to his new hand, so, kind of reluctantly, he went to go find May. 

"May!" Fitz yelled, running in the direction of the training area, where the agent was often found. "I really need your help!"

"Yes?" May's voice said from behind him. Fitz jumped. 

"Ah!" he yelled in surprise. "Sorry, May, I didn't see you there!" 

"What do you need me for?" May asked, in her typical direct fashion. 

"I'm going on a date," Fitz rushed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "With Simmons."

May gave him a rare smile. "It's about time," she said, a hint of pride shining through her eyes. "You need help getting ready?"

"Yeah," Fitz confirmed. "I've got to get dinner reservations, find something to wear, find out how to get to the dinner venue, and -" He took a breath. "And Simmons is the one who usually does these things, not me! She excels at preparation!"

"I'm sure you do too," she said reassuringly. "Now let's get going. This date won't plan itself."

<>

May was right saying that the date didn't plan itself. They sat in one of the lesser used meeting rooms, with the senior agent drawing out diagrams and pinning up pictures of potential date sites. It was oddly like prepping for a mission. 

Fitz hadn't seen Simmons around, whether it was because she was also preparing for her date or because he and May were tucked into the very corner of the base. He decided to count it as a blessing, since he wanted their first date to be memorable. He wanted the details of the date to be a surprise. 

"So, we've narrowed it down to rooftop picnic or dinner at The Shield. What do you think?" May asked him. 

The Shield was a popular restaurant that was near the Playground. For obvious reasons, the agents enjoyed the name of the restaurant and the food there, and after a thorough background check by Coulson and May to make sure it wasn't some kind of sick joke by HYDRA, it became the place most agents would go for a fancy night out. 

"Hm..." Fitz considered the two options. "The rooftop dinner feels more personal. It would be great since we could look at the stars, but seems overly romantic for a first date, don't you think?" 

May nodded. "I'll call the Shield for a reservation then. Tonight at seven?"

"That sounds good," Fitz replied. He was glad he had gotten May to help. She was actually pretty good at this type of thing (much better than he was, at least). They had started with at least twenty different dinner possibilities and ended up deciding on one in little more than half an hour. 

"Get started with picking out clothes," May instructed. "I'll head over once I've called the restaurant."

<>

On the way over to his bunk, Fitz knocked on Simmons' door. 

"Simmons, dinner's at seven!" He yelled. 

No response. 

That was odd, Fitz thought nervously. If she wasn't in her bunk, where was she? Was she having second thoughts about the date?

May chose that moment to catch up to him. "Simmons isn't there?" she asked questioningly. 

Fitz shook his head. "What if she changed her mind?" he said, upset.

May rolled her eyes. "As if she would," she told him. "The two of you have been making eyes at each other since the first day on the bus!"

"Yeah, but so have you and Coulson, and you guys haven't been on any dates!"

Oh. 

Oh, he really shouldn't have said that out loud. (To be honest, though, everyone on the base was thinking it.) May's glare was sharper than any dagger and more effective than any ICER he could design. He froze in place. 

He had a feeling his life wouldn't be very fun for the next few months. May was very good at holding grudges. 

Oh, well, Fitz thought. It was worth having the perfect date with Simmons. 

"Let's get to your bunk. Just text her whatever you want to say," May told him. Fitz exhaled a sigh of relief. If he wasn't about to go on a date with Simmons, May probably wouldn't have let him off so easily. (Granted, he was sure May would have her subtle revenge later.)

They walked off to Fitz's bunk silently. Fitz was lost in thought. What would they talk about? What if the date felt awkward?

"Don't be nervous," May said, as they reached his bunk. "You two have been friends for so long. Have you ever actually ran out of things to talk about before?"

It was like she was reading Fitz's mind. Fitz was reminded that May had been on dates before, and she had experience with these things. 

"Not really, no," he admitted sheepishly. "You're probably right. I'm worrying for nothing."

May raised an eyebrow, stopping at Fitz's door. "I'm always right."

<>

"Not this one, no, no, _absolutely not_ , maybe," Fitz said, as May lifted up shirts for him to consider. Heaps of clothes lay on Fitz's bed. 

They had organized all of his clothes into two piles; no and maybe. Currently, the maybe pile was completely hidden underneath the mound of clothes that Fitz had deemed unacceptable for his date. 

May poked her head into his closet. "No more clothes left."

"This is hopeless!" Fitz exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "I'll never have an outfit ready in time for dinner!"

May's lips tilted upward. "You sound like Cinderella," she said. 

Fitz collapsed onto his bed. "Just pick an outfit for me," he said to May. "Your sense of style is probably better anyway."

May sincerely doubted that, as her wardrobe consisted of all black with a few dark greys and purples thrown in. But she browsed through the piles of clothes once more, hoping to find something suitable. 

Oh, the things she did for her bus kids.

After a while, she picked out some basic dark blue pants, a collared light blue shirt, and a grey cardigan. 

"Simmons likes seeing you in cardigans," she said, handing the outfit over to Fitz. It was true, Simmons had mentioned that to Skye- no, Daisy, once, back on the Bus. 

"Thanks, May," Fitz said. "I don't know what I'd've done without you."

<>

A few minutes later, Fitz walked out of his bunk dressed for his date, and almost ran into May. May held up a single red rose.

"Give this to Simmons," she instructed. 

Fitz nodded. 

"You should get going. Your reservation is in half an hour."

Fitz nodded again. "Thank you for all your help today."

May gave him a small smile. "No problem. Now go get Simmons."

<>

"Simmons? Simmons," Fitz called. Where could she be? He had already checked the lab, her bunk, even the gym!

"May," he said breathlessly, seeing the agent walk towards him. "I can't find Simmons, and she isn't answering her phone."

May's brows furrowed slightly in confusion. "Let's take a look at the security cameras," she suggested, pulling out her tablet. 

Fitz was right. The scientist was nowhere to be seen. 

May felt a kind of dread in her gut, the type that she felt when she realized missions were about to go wrong. 

"Where did you last see her?" May asked Fitz. 

"The monolith room," Fitz said, and May pulled up surveillance footage of the room from the last five hours. 

They fast forwarded through Fitz's endearing attempt at asking Simmons out, Simmons taking a few extra readings on the monolith, and then -

May almost dropped the tablet in shock. 

The monolith had swallowed Simmons up. 

May turned to see Fitz completely pale, looking as though he was about to vomit. 

"She might still be okay," he said, as if trying to convince himself. "She has to be okay."

May shoved down her own grief and guided him towards a bench, making him sit down. 

"We'll find her, Fitz. I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm now taking requests! No promises for if and when I'll write them, though. 
> 
> I love reading all of your comments. I love comments in general. Please give me comments.


	4. Melinda May

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three bus kids take care of their bus mom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place in S3, after Lash is revealed.

It was strange seeing May like this, Daisy thought. She could tell from the unsure expressions on Fitz-Simmons' faces that they thought so too. She had come with the two of them to check on Andrew, who, according to the security cameras, had turned back from Lash around one hour ago, only to see their 'bus mom' standing outside the containment room.

Her expression was heartbroken and lost, a far cry from the usual calm they had all gotten used to. 

It scared Daisy to death. 

All of them were used to the senior agent being an unshakeable force, someone who would always have their backs. Seeing her like this? It was hard to recognize the woman who would reassure them before hard missions, and teach them how to fight. Daisy honestly wasn't sure what to do. 

Her eyes met Fitz-Simmons', and an unspoken understanding passed between them. May always took care of them, it was their turn to take care of her. 

Daisy walked towards May, feeling the worried gazes of Fitz-Simmons on the two of them. She gently put a hand on May's shoulder, and almost withdrew her arm in shock. May was _shaking._ Daisy cursed inwardly. She should've been able to feel it, with her powers, but she'd been distracted. 

May's body shook with silent sobs, unnoticeable from where Daisy had been standing before. A couple of stray tears ran down her cheeks. She made no move to wipe them away. 

"May?" Daisy's voice was soft and hesitant. She gently wrapped her arm around the agent, and caught a glimpse of Andrew sleeping inside the room. He was curled up, facing away from the window. "Do you need anything?"

May gave a barely perceptible shake of the head. _No._

It was a testament to how close the two of them had gotten for May to not have glared at her through her tears and told her to leave.

Daisy detected familiar vibrations coming towards them, and turned to see Simmons carrying a heavy blanket and Fitz struggling to lift four fold up chairs behind them. She hadn't noticed them leave.

(Daisy had teased Fitz about his inability to carry fold up chairs once, and he had replied with a lengthy explanation about how the chairs' design wasn't good enough and therefore were hard to lift up. She had proved him wrong by carrying five at once.)

"May, we've brought some chairs. Do you want to sit down?" Simmons' voice enquired quietly. 

May made no reply, but Daisy gently guided her over to one of the chairs Fitz had finished setting up, and Simmons draped the blanket over her shoulders. The three of them sat down, with Daisy on one side and Fitz-Simmons on the other. 

They stayed like that for a while, leaning into May, eventually ducking under May's blanket. Anyone who saw them, any new agent, wouldn't have believed their eyes. The terrifying Agent May, snuggling with three other agents, with tears in her eyes? Impossible. 

Daisy wasn't at all surprised, and neither were Fitz-Simmons. They had found out long ago that May was a person who, although slower to trust others, would care about them with all her heart when she did. It was apparent in the way May was crying over Andrew, the way she made them tea after particularly hard missions, the way she would always have the best pranks to cheer them up. 

May eventually fell asleep, and the three agents brought her back to her bunk. With a fond glance, Fitz-Simmons and Daisy turned off her lights and left the room. 

The next morning, May woke up to a warm mug of her favourite tea and a note on her bedside table.

_We love you, May. Make sure you take care of yourself._

_-Daisy and Fitz-Simmons_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was more of a drabble than a chapter, really, but I felt like it was a great place to end. I hope all of you liked this story!!! It's my first completed multi-chapter fic. I'm so proud. Let me know how I did, and happy early Thanksgiving to those who celebrate!
> 
> -browneyedgenius


End file.
